Coupler shank and yoke connection



Nov. 231, 1926. s v E. G. eoopwm I couPLm SHANK AND YOKE CONNECTION IFileq Jul 15, 192 s 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 INVENTOR. 5. 00.0W/N

G. G opwm COUPLER srumx AND E commoner;

7 Filed July 1926 Z '77 y .lear I 22 a i l am IN V EN TOR.

Patented Nov, 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES 4 1,608,386 PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST G. GOODWIN, OF- PELHAM, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR Tb STANDARD COUPLERCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF'NEW JERSEY.

COUPLER SHANK AND Yoke CONNECTION.

Application filed July 15,

This invention relates to railway draft rigging and particularly to theprovision of an equalizer between the coupler shank and the yoke so asto lengthen the life of the parts by eliminating undue wear m somelocalized portion during angling and has forits principal object theprovision of a more simple and efficient form of coupler shank jpermitlateral movement of the draw bar without disturbing the normal relationof the key .to the yoke links whereby the stresses transmitted to thedraft gear might be equalized. It was suggestedthat shims or bushingsmight be placed on both sides of the key, lengthening and widening thekey slot thru the coupler shank for this purpose, the shims or bushingshaving -curved faces for engaging similar faces of the draw bar slot,but almost invariablythe center of curvature of both surfaces was in thecenter of the key. e I 2 Some of the devices might have beensatisfactory if there were buttone type'of equipment on the 'market butunfortunately there are several styles of draft rigging parts and I itis absolutely essential at the present day that a coiipler shank to besatisfactory shall be interchangeable, that is, it must accommodate thevertical yoke attachment and provide for the Syrnington standardfollower, in other words, it must 'absolutelyinterchange with standard Dcouplers all over the country for otherwise the railroads would have tostock two kinds of couplers if any one of them attempted to useanoninterchangeable device; It is particularly for this reason that theswivel butt couplers havenctmet with success in spite of the fact thatthey equalize the load on angle.

- In the drawings I Figure 1 is a horizontal section thru a couplershank and yoke connection involving the present invention.

Figure 2 is a-central, vertical section.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the rear end of the coupler shank.

Figuressl, 5 and 6 are transverse vertical 1926. Serial No. 122,691.

sections taken on lines 4-4, 55 of Figure 3.

In the specification and thruout the claims side to side, and depth orheight a measurement from top -to bottom.

strea The yoke is numbered 10 and has. the

usual oppositely disposed flaring-front walls 11 which have slots 12therein to receive the key 14. The coupler shankwhich is denoted as aWhole by the numeral 15, has flat top and bottom walls 16 and slopingsidewalls 17, the former strengthened by a vertical rib 18 to preventbulging outward or collapsing inward of this portion of the hollow stemin either buff or pull, this being accomplished with the side walls ofthe coupler as well as the inner rib and at the same time making ahighly eflicient design very simpleto cast. w

The rear end of the coupler shank is of solid metal except for theopening 20 t0 receive the usual follower lug, which opening communicateswith the key-way slot 22 which is approximately twice as high as the keyand is somewhat longer'than the present standard of 6 inches. The frontwall 23 of the key slot is slightly concave vertically to allow a slightextra-degree of angle while the rear wall of the key-Way slot is deeplyv recessed as at 24 to receive a key f equalizer 25, the arc of theconcave recess preferably being struck from the rear edge of the key,that is, four inches forward of the rear face 27 of the shank. I 4

Since the quantity of" metal above and below the key-way slot must havea definite minimum value I find it highly advantageous to omit theusual. cores and to have these walls 28 and 29 solid, with exteriorribs.30 forrned\by grooving the top and bottom faces as at 31. The keyequalizer 25 is preferably quite a bit-wider than the width @of the-rearend of the coupler shank. The

top and bottom flanges 26 are integral with the rear of the equalizerand are preferably somewhat concave at,their front portions as at 3,3.tofacilitate insertion in the coupler. It will be noted that the body ofmetal at the rear end of the equalizer is ample to permit the provisionof an opening. 34 to receive the follower lug and yet'maintain' therequired strength and rigidity In operation, the pull is straight onboth sides of the yoke at all times and the equalizer remains constantlyparallel to the key. The area of the bearing between the equalizer andthe coupler is somewhat greater than between the usual coupler and keyand the equalizer has more than ample stiffness by virtue of its greatlyincreased depth and the provision of the top and bottom flanges.

l'Vith the longer key slot, the present, stan'd'- ard is 6% inches,small angles give an even bearing on both sides of the yoke but the keybears on one knife edge of the coupler which naturally will soon roundup, wearing away the bearing to such an extent that on a straight pullthe load will be in the center of the key only, and this in turn willbend the key after which there will be a .further rounding away of thecorners of the slot,-a consequent further bending of the key, and so on.

lVhat I claim is 1. A coupler shank having a transverse key-way slot ofapproximately twice the height of the standard 6 by 1 key and more thanone tenth longer than said stand- 7 ard key, therear wall of the slothaving an arcuate-recess therein to receive a key equalizer, the radiusof the are being less thanthe distance from the center of the key. tothe surface arcuate. i

2. The device of claim 1 in which the curve ofthe recess is an arcstruck from the intersection ofthe center line of the gear and avertical plane touching the rear of the key in its normal position.

3. A coupler shank having a key slot approximately twice as high andmore than one tenth longer than a standard key, the rear wall of theslot being horizontally concave to receive a key equalizer, the wallsabove and below the slot being solid and ribbed externally and the rearend of the shank being solid except for the recess and a lug receivingopening communicating with said recess.

4; The dGVlCQOf claim 1 in which the portion of the shank in advance ofthe slot is ward or collapsing inward of the hollowtapered portion ofthe stem.

5. In combination, a coupler key, an equalizer having forwardlyextending'fianges to receive a portion of the key snugly between them,an arcuate extension projecting rearwardly from the equalizer, acouplershank having a transverse slot of suchheight as to receive snuglythe equalizer and of side face length less than the over-all length ofrecess lying in a transverse vertical plane rearward of the center ofthe coupler slot.

6. In combination, a coupler having an opening in the rear end thereofto receive a follower lug and also having a transverse slot, a slottedyoke, a key passing thru the 'alined slots 'of the coupler and yoke, an

equalizer in the coupler slot extending beyond each sidewall of thecouplerand having a convex rear extension with an opening therein alsoto receive said follower lug, the rear wall of the couplerv slot beingon an arc struck from the rear edge of the key and said equalizerhavingtop and bot- ]tom flanges extending above and below the' r- I 7. Incombination, a slotted yoke, a slotted coupler having a concave recessat the rear of the slot of less diameter than the width of the coupler,a key, an equalizer surro undingnthe central portion of the key at rear,top and bottom, fitting the slot in the coupler, and havingrotativeengage ment with said recess, said coupler and equalizer havingcommunicating openings therein to receive a follower lug.

8. An equalizer consisting of a body, a convex extension projectingfromthe rear thereof and havingits vertical axis in a centrallongitudinal plane and near the front surface of the body, a pair offlanges extending forwardly from the body approximately the length of astandard coupler key and spaced apart to receive such coupler keybetween them. 7

9. The deviceof claim 8 in which the front faces of the flanges areconcave whereby the equalizer may be inserted in a coupler slot of lessside face length than the over-all length of the equalizer.

In testimony whereof I aifix my Signature. I

ERNEST G. GOQDW'IN.

